Technical Abstract:
The application of molecular techniques provides a rich source of genetic markers for mapping and genome analysis in almost any organism. Until the application of molecular markers became nearly ubiquitous in biology, genetic maps based on visible morphological markers were available for only a handful of model organisms. Genetic markers in other organisms were extremely rare and often produced deleterious pleiotropic effects, limiting their value in breeding research. Among these other organisms, is the bulb onion. We report here a low-density genetic map of onion with 122 molecular and classical markers encompassing 1200cM. We also describe the potential uses of this genetic map in practical onion breeding.